Combined cigarette lighter and dispenser



May 9, 1951 A. FRANcHlNo 2,983,407

COMBINED CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND DISPENSER Filed May 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 111.1111 uri- INVENTOR May 9, 1961 A. FRANcHlNo 2,983,407

COMBINED CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND DISPENSER Filed May 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 116| @P25 ze I A. ze J* l:

49 Sas/U 3.2%

INVENTOR A EY CoMBINED CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND DISPENSER Antonio Franchino, 60 Harvey St., Hamilton,

Ontario, Canada Filed May 24, 1957, Ser. No. k661,324

6 Claims. (Cl. 221-147) This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and more particularly to a combination cigarette box and cigarette lighter for use in vehicles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination cigarette box and cigarette `lighter that is substantially self contained and automatic in yoperation grid which may be conveniently mounted within a ve- 1ere.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination cigarette box and lighter assembly that may be used to automatically dispense cigarettes to the driver and passengers of automotive vehicles in response to a single stroke and single hand operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a combination cigarette box and cigarette dispenser of the above type in which single cigarettes may be selectively dispensed and ignited in response to ya single movement of the operating lever, whereby a driver may conveniently obtain an ignited cigarette without being distracted while driving.

Other objects of the invention are to provider a combination cigarette dispenser and i-gniter bearing the above objects kin mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eiiicient in operation.

Fory other objects and for a better understanding of the -invent-ion, reference may be had tothe following detailed description taken in conjunction wit-h the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a comb-ination cigarette dispenser and Alighter made in accordance with the present invention, with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 1, showing the operating parts thereof in a partially actuated position; v

Figure 3 4is a View similar to Figure 2, showing an advanced actuating position;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure l;

Figure `5 is a transverse cross sectional View taken along line 5--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the device shown in Figure l;

Figure 7 4is a cross sectional viewY taken along line 7 7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure l, showing the opposite side of the cigarette storage compartment;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, showing an advanced actuating position of the operating parts;

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, showing a still `further advanced actuating position;

Figure 11 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line 11--11 of Figure 8; and

Figure 12 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line 12-12 of Figure l0.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a device 10 made Vin accordance with the present invention is shown to be in the form of a rear view mirror attachy States Patent F ice ment Ifor vehicles and includes a frame that defines an interior compartment f1?. having a hingedly connected cover member 13 hinged at 11 that provides a suitable mounting for a mirror 14. A partition 15 disposed along the longitudinal central plane of the device divides the compartment 12 into a cigarette storage compartment and an operating mechanism compartment. At one end of the cigarette storage chamber in the device 10, the partition 15 extends in the form of an arcuate guide plate 18, which is disposed in partial encircling arrangement above a circular opening 19 that extends downwardly through the bottom of the housing. A rod 21 that is substantially parallel to the bottom of the device 10 extends substantially along the entire length of the housing and is fixed at one end to the plate 18 and at the other end, which is curved upwardly, to the inside of the housing, as shown 'in Fig. '1. This rod slidably supports a positioning plate 22 which is spring biased toward the guide 18 by a compression spring 23. This plate 22 supports the cigarettes 17 in an angular-ly inclined position during movement from one end of the device toward the opposite discharge end and into proximity with the discharge opening 19. The cigarettes are inserted into the device by opening the cover memberY I13 and compressing the spring 23 so as to permit a plurality of cigarettes 17 to be placed in the inclined position shown.

n An elongated operating lever 25 rotatably supported at one end upon a pivot pin 26 within the compartment 12, is normally biased toward a vertically upward position by a return spring assembly 27. The outer free end of the lever 25 is provided with a handle 28 for moving the lever fromthe normally raised position toward its depressed position. The movement of the lever is accommodated by a vertically disposed slot 29 in the end wall of the device adjacent to the discharge opening 19. A crank 30 is rotatably supported upon a pivot member 32 adjacent to the bottom of the cornpartment. A laterally extending operator finger 31 extends over the top of the partition wa'll 15 and into en- 38 directs the movement of the plate 37 in a direction out of engagement with the leg 35, as shown in -Figure l2. This releases the leg 35 so that the crank 30 can 'return to its normal position shown in Figure 8 underV the action of the associated spring 33, while the handle 28 is in the depressed posit-ion shown in Figures 9 and l0.

Cigarette lighting means are also associated with the device 10, as more clearly shown in Figures l to 5. A iixed electrical contact 41 is insulatedly supported adjacent to the discharge openingf19 of the housing; A movable electrical contact 42 -is insulatedly supported upon a plate 44 that is rotatably mounted upon a spring 'loaded pivot pin 46 which normally maintains the plate 44 in the raised position shown in Figure 2. A heating element 45 is carried at the outer end of the plate 44 and is supplied with electrical energy from any source, such as the car battery, through a flexible cab-le 47 that is also associated with the fixed contact 41- for conducting the electrical energy to contact 42 which is connected toV one end of the heating coil inV element 45, the other end of the coil being grounded throughthe supporting plate 44. 'I`hus,'in response to the closing of the movable contact 42 with the xed contact 41, current is caused to flow through the heater element 45 to produce an igniting heat suflicient to light a cigarette. A downwardly depending rod 48 pivotally secured at one end to the movable plate 44 at 43 is provided with va transversely extending arm 49 at the opposite end which extends into the plane of the slot 29 in the end of the housing and into the path of movement of the operating lever 25. The lower end of rod 48, below the arm 49, is slidably mounted in bushing 50. Accordingly, downward movement of the operating lever 25 is also operative to urge the lrod 48 in a downward direction, thereby rotating the plate 44 to close the contacts 41, 42, thereby supplying electrical energy to the heating element. The contacts are maintained in the closed position by the frictional engagement therebetween until the heat of the heating element expands the movable contact 42 suiiiciently to permit the spring loaded pivot shaft 46 to return the plate 44 to the normal raised position, thereby automatically deenergizing the heating element.

In operation, a quant-ity of cigarettes 17 are loaded into the storage compartment within the housing so that the guide plate 22 urges them toward the discharge opening 19 at the one end. Thus, upon rotation of the operating lever 25 in a downward direction, the transferring finger 31 of the crank 30 will engage the top corner of the most adjacent cigarette to rotate it about its bottom end which is in association with the discharge opening 19 as shown in Figure 6. During this rotation, the cigarette is pushed downwardly through the discharge opening while being held against complete discharge therefrom by the guide plate 18. As the operating lever 25 approaches the bottom of its stroke, the crank 30 is released to return to the normally raised position, as hereinbefore described, while continued downward movement of the operating lever 25 is operative to close the circuit contacts 41, 42, to rotate the heating element 45 to engagement with the upper end of the cigarette 17 and thereby ignite the positioned cigarette. In the meantime, the handle 28 may be released to return the operating parts to their normal positions, while the heating element will remain in the heating position until the contacts are automatically disengaged as hereinbefore explained. The cigarette is then ready for use, whereupon it may be removed downwardly through the opening 19 against the hu-gging action of the guide plate 18. When a cigarette is thus removed, the lower edge of the next inclined cigarette moves across the edge of the opening 19 but the cigarette is frictionally held against dropping into this opening by the adjacent inclined cigarette until the forward portion of the lower edge of the irst cigarette is pressed against the guide plate 18, which adds to the fric-tion for holding the cigarette in place until the next discharge operation.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A combination of a cigarette dispenser and lighter,

comprising a housing having a hinged cover on onel side, a partition within said housing parallel to said cover and dividing said housing into a cigarette storage compartment and an operating mechanism compartment, a rod positioned parallel to the bottom of the housing in the said storage compartment for supporting a row of inclined cigarettes within said storage compartment against said partition, a positioning plate -slidably mounted on said rod at the rear end of said row, a coiled spring on said rod adapted to bias said plate to move said cigarettes toward a discharge position, an opening in the said housing adjacent the Asaid discharge position, ejector means for sequentially moving a single cigarette into said opening, the said cigarette being held frictionally in the said opening by the biasing action of the said plate, andl means mounted in said end of the storage compartment for igniting said cigarette, and means to actuate the said ejector means and the said igniting means sequentially.

2. The combination according to claim 1, said lever operated means including alever by said operating mechanism compartment `pivotally supported in said housing, one end of which extends into said storage cornpartment 'for arcuately swinging from said inclined position to a vertical position into said discharge opening.

3. A cigarette dispenser and lighter comprising a housing, a partition within said housing dividing the said housing into a cigarette storage compartment, an operating mechanism compartment back of it, a cover for said cigarette storage compartment, a rod in front of said partition under the cover positioned longitudinally of said housing for supporting a row of inclined cigarettes in said storage compartment against said partition and having a positioning plate slidably supported thereon, a coil spring on said rod back of said plate to bias said plate against the rear end of said row of cigarettes to urge thern toward one end of said cigarette compartment, a discharge opening in the bottom of said one end, ejector means having an operating lever in said mechanism compartment extending through a slot in said one end for external operation, the ejector means being operated by one stroke of said lever for sequentially moving the cigarette nearest said opening from its inclined position normally into said opening to expose the lower end of the said cigarette below the said storage compartment and means operated by the said lever for then lighting the said cigarette at its internal upper end, said lighting means having a thermally responsive automatic disconnecting switch.

4. The combination according to claim 3, said ejector means including a pivotally biased lever in said mechanism compartment having a cigarette engaging portion extending over said partition into said cigarette compartment, said biased lever being engaged by said operating lever during its operating stroke, and limit cam means for automatically disengaging said operating lever from said cigarette biased lever upon movement of said cigarette to said partially exposed position.

5. The combination according to claim 4, said cigarette lighting means including a fixed contact being supported upon a pivotally mounted plate for movement into and out of engagement with said liixed contact, said pivotally mounted plate having an electrical heated element at its outer end and biasing means to hold said contac out of engagement.

6. The combination according to claim 5, said lighting means further including actuating means for effecting movement of said movable contact into engagement with said xed contact subsequent to the movement of the said cigarette into the partially exposed position, and for lowering said heated element over the top of said cigarette for lighting it.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,656,060 Glavey lan. 10, 1928 1,845,673 Mansbach et al Feb. 16, 1932 1,854,380 Pengilly Apr. 19, 1932 1,995,229 Schulte Mar. 19, 1935 1,997,796 Jay Apr. 16, 1935 2,108,376 Copeland Feb. 15, 1938 2,216,675 Prescott Oct. 1, 1940 2,250,303 Katz July 22, 1941 2,545,936 Zanardo Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,928 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1934 721,262 France Mar. 1, 1932 966,926 France Mar. ll5, 1950 

